I know this was probably posted before, but it seems to answer the question as to why the new blood cards were not used:
This came from AJWRB:
Recently Jehovah's Witnesses learned that there would be no pocket
size advance directives (blood cards) issued this year and naturally,
this has created some speculation as to the reason.
If you are carrying or possess the most recent "released" version of
the card which was published in March 1999, you will find it
interesting to note that a new version was in fact prepared for this
year and published in June 2001. The cards were shipped to some
congregations and probably a few were actually distributed to members
who were baptized over the summer and fall in congregations that ran
out of the older version.
About a month ago, congregations were informed not to distribute
these new cards, but rather destroy them. The difference is one line
where the older March - 1999 card states "I direct that no blood
transfusion (whole blood, red cells, white cells, platelets or blood
plasma) be given to me...," the June - 2001 version reads "I direct
that no allogeneic blood transfusion (whole blood, red cells, white
cells, platelets or blood plasma) be given to me..." So the
difference in the cards is the use of the word allogeneic in the June
2001 version.
The word "allogeneic" refers to intraspecies genetic variations.
Therefore, an "allogeneic" transfusion is one derived from the blood
of a different person. The implication here is clear. The Watchtower
Society stood at the threshold of permitting autologous whole blood
transfusions and for some reason, presently unknown, suddenly shifted
and stepped back.
It seems evident there is a great struggle within the WTS leadership
as to how best deal with the WTS disastrous policy on blood. Any who
are still convinced that the WTS stands solidly behind this policy
and are prepared to die defending the policy (or even worse - permit
their children to die) have cause to soberly reflect on their support.
In our view, this may be one of those situations where the governing
body voted to permit Jehovah's Witnesses to use their own blood and
put the wheels in motion to change the policy - only to have one
member of the body change their mind at the last second and call for
a re-vote.
We believe that the WTS blood policy will change again and change
dramatically from a historical perspective - the question is when.
The foundation necessary for the change is in place. Even now
Jehovah's Witnesses who write for permission to withdraw and store
their blood for the use of WTS approved blood fractions are told they
may do so. At present huge quantities of blood are donated by
non-JWs, stored and processed to provide all of the blood products
permitted by the Watchtower Society.
Soon Jehovah's Witnesses will have access to hemoglobin based blood
substitutes like HemoPure and PolyHeme. The WTS will be inundated
with tough questions and a whole series of articles will have to
follow. This will probably lead to further erosion of the
Watchtower's once firm stand:
" Is it wrong to sustain life by infusions of blood or plasma or red
cells or the various blood fractions? Yes!…regardless of whether
it is whole blood taken from one's own body or that taken from someone
else, whether it is administrated as a transfusion or an injection,
the divine law applies…Whether whole or fractional, one's own or
someone else's, transfused or injected, it is wrong."
- The Watchtower 09/15/1961 p. 557-559 Emphasis added
To members of the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses, the
collective members of AJWRB ask: "If we are permitted to use all of
these blood products, why do we withhold one of the tiniest -
platelets - when permitting it would save the lives of so many
Jehovah's Witness children and adults who are forced to discontinue
their chemotherapy?"
Platelets account for only 0.17% of blood volume. If you look at
blood like a dollar bill, platelets would be less than 1/5 of one
penny. While a permitted blood product like hemoglobin accounts for
nearly 15% of blood volume. There is no justification for Watchtower
leaders to maintain a policy that sends all of these people to an
early grave. At some point, they must find the courage to right this
terrible wrong. When they do, AJWRB will have served its purpose but
until then we will continue our mission of educating other Jehovah's
Witnesses and the medical community regarding the Watchtower's
irrational policy on the use of blood.
Even now work goes ahead on important articles soon to be published
in American Medical Journals that will inform physicians about these
discrepancies and what they can do to minimize morbidity and
mortality within the Jehovah's Witness community.